Before everything changed, Raymond’s Christmas looked like family gatherings, home-cooked meals, laughter, and the comfort of knowing he had a place to belong. He never imagined that broken family relationships and a series of unfortunate events would leave him without a home. “I had never been homeless in my entire life,” Raymond shared. “I’ve always been a very career-oriented person with set goals and set schedules. It was all very new and unexpected.”
When he suddenly found himself alone, he didn’t know where to turn. He remembers sitting in a park after walking away from an argument in his family’s house, hoping things would calm down by the time he got back. Instead, the family member called the police on him, saying he was homeless and loitering. “I was arrested for being homeless in a park,” he said. “I tried to explain, but apparently there was no use in me explaining anything different from whatever story my family had already told them.”
After 36 days in jail, Raymond walked out with nothing. He had no ID, no phone, no plan. “I was thinking, ‘Where am I going to lay my head tonight? Am I really going to be out sleeping in the street and end up holding a sign on the side of the road?’ I’d never done that before. Could I even handle something like that?” He was terrified. “Even though I kept it cool on the outside, on the inside I really could have broken down crying at any moment.”
Then someone told him about the Tacoma Rescue Mission. “I wasn’t aware that places like this existed and, being from California, I wouldn’t have known where to go even if I did,” Raymond explains. “They gave me refuge right away and food to eat. I was as thankful and appreciative as I could ever be.” That simple act of kindness changed everything. Raymond began volunteering at the Mission while he was staying here. Serving meals, prepping food, and encouraging others coming in off the street. “I started volunteering…not out of obligation, but out of the gratitude I felt for this place and the staff here.”
He discovered the joy of paying forward the help he received to others in need. “The more I volunteered, the more I loved the people who come to the Mission for help because I know their stories. It has given me a new sense of purpose.” While helping others, Raymond worked with his case manager to get an ID, create a plan, and prepare for housing and employment. He even rediscovered his love for art and began painting again, inspired by the new perspective he gained from his time here at the Mission and restored sense of humanity. “This place has given me a whole new perspective. I thought homelessness was just drug addicts and people with mental health problems. But here, I met veterans, grandparents, people who just slipped through the cracks. People from all walks of life. Homelessness can really happen to any one of us.”
Today, Raymond is rebuilding his life and he wants you to know how much your support matters: “Your financial contribution to the Mission changes lives…It’s a meal, a jacket, a shower, and the confidence to start over.”
